In order to clarify the preneoplastic nature of large regenerative nodules without dysplastic change, we analysed the clonality of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and large nodules, diameter > or =0.5 cm, of cirrhotic liver by X-linked human androgen receptor (HUMARA) gene assay, using the principle of random X chromosome methylation and inactivation in female. Ten cases of HCC and 5 cases of large nodules without dysplasia from 9 female patients were selected. All the tumors, large nodules and paired normal control cells were selectively microdissected from deparaffinized hematoxylin and eosin stained slides. Genomic DNA was isolated and digested with HhaI. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplication of the HUMARA locus was performed using 32P-a-dCTP containing PCR mixtures. The PCR amplified products were separated by gel electrophoresis and analysed by autoradiography. Nine HCCs from 8 patients were monoclonal and 1 case was polyclonal and the remaining 1 case was not polymorphic at the HUMARA locus. The HCC case which showed polyclonality contained many inflammatory cells. All the large nodules were polyclonal by HUMARA assay. These results suggest that all or most of the cells composing the large regenerative nodules without dysplasia are polyclonal. This assay may be informative for the differentiation between regenerative and preneoplastic nodules in cirrhotic liver and the size of nodule may be not important in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Autoradiography ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hematoxylin ; Humans ; Liver ; Methylation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Androgen ; X Chromosome

A clinical study was made of 14 cases of distal rectal cancer treated at the Department of Surgery, St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, from January 1995 to April 1996. The patients were treated in a modified Thomas Jefferson program and received high doses of preoperative radiation followed by a sphincter saving procedure. The results are as follows: 1) There were 5 male patients (35.7%) and 9 female patients(64.3%). There was also a large number of patients in their 50s and 60s. 2) The preoperative pathologic type was a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. 3) Rectal bleeding was the most common symptom, followed by tenesmus, constipation, anal pain, and a tarry stool. 4) At diagnosis, the Thomas Jefferson (T.J.) system was used for the clinical stage of the patients. The clinical stage of disease showed a preponderance of T.J. stage I (10 patients), T.J stage II, III, and IV occurred in 2, 1, and 1 patient, respectively. 5) The most common site was 0-3 cm above dentate line (8 patients), followed by 4-6 cm (5 patients) and > 7 cm (1 patient) above the dentate line. 6) The complications after preoperative radiation therapy were diarrhea (3 patients) and perianal dermatitis (5 patients). 7) After preoperative radiation therapy, one case showed pathologic complete remission. 8) The procedure was a Transanal Abdominal TransAnal proctosigmoidectomy and coloanal anastomosis (TATA) in 11 patients, a low anterior resection in 1 patient, an abdominal perineal resection in 1 patient, and a colostomy in 1 patient. 9) The pathologic stage showed a preponderance of Duke's B2 and B1; 5 were B2, 4 were B1, 3 were C2, 1 was D, and 1 was O. 10) The postoperative complications after colostomy repair in TATA were frequent defecation, tenesmus, anal pain at defecation, and rectovaginal fistulas which subsided 3 months after colostomy repair.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colostomy ; Constipation ; Defecation ; Dermatitis ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Rectovaginal Fistula

Punctate palmoplantar keratoderma(PPK) is a rare disease, characterized by small, hard hyperkeratotic papules which are irregularly distributed on the palms and soles. PPK is an autosomal dominant disease with variable penetrance. We report a case of sporadic case of punctate palmoplantar keratoderma in a 26-year-old female patient.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar* ; Penetrance ; Rare Diseases

OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the findings of multimodality evoked potentials, brain MRI and EEG in cerebral palsy children and to identify the correlations between these findings. METHOD: We examined Brain MRI, EEG and evoked potentials including visual evoked potentials(VEPs), brainstem auditory evoked potentials(BAEPs) and somatosensory evoked potentials(SSEPs) in 80 cerebral palsy children. RESULTS: 1) Abnormal findings of brain MRI and EEG were 79.4% and 81% respectively. 2) Abnormal responses of VEPs and BAEPs were 28.1% and 18.8%. 3) In the median and tibial nerve SSEPs, abnormal responses were 14.6% and 28.6%. Abnormal findings of the tibial nerve SSEPs were more frequent than the median nerve SSEPs. 4) In children with spastic hemiplegia, the abnormal SSEPs were much greater in the affected limb than unaffected limbs. 5) There was a significant correlation between the SSEP abnormalities and brain MRI or EEG abnormalities in cerebral palsy children. CONCLUSION: The data obtained in this study would be helpful for identifying and assessing the central nervous system deficits of cerebral palsy children.
Brain Stem ; Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Palsy ; Child* ; Electroencephalography* ; Evoked Potentials* ; Extremities ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Median Nerve ; Tibial Nerve

No abstract available.
Death Certificates* ; Korea*

This study was conducted to determine if humoral antibody response of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine improved in 8-week-old growing pigs born to well-vaccinated sows pre-treated with 60 mg of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) three days before vaccination. Antibody against FMD virus serotype O was measured 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks post-vaccination, using a PrioCHECK FMDV type O ELISA kit. The results showed that positive antibody reactions against FMDV serotype O antigen among a component of the vaccine significantly increased in response to pre-injection with γ-PGA.
Animals ; Antibody Formation* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus* ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease* ; Immunity, Humoral ; O Antigens ; Serogroup ; Swine* ; Vaccination

Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) integrate into germline DNA as proviral genome that enables vertical transmission from parents to their offspring. The provirus usually survives as part of the host genome rather than as an infectious agent, but may become pathogenic if it crosses species barriers. Therefore, replication-competent PERV should be controlled through selective breeding or knockout technologies. Two microRNAs (miRNAs), dual LTR1 and LTR2, were selected to inhibit the expression of PERV in primary porcine kidney cells. The inhibition efficiency of the miRNAs was compared based on their inhibition of different PERV regions, specifically long terminal repeats (LTRs), gag, pol, and env. Gene expression was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction and the C-type reverse transcriptase (RT) activity was determined. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of the PERV LTR and env regions was determined in HeLa cells co-cultured with primary porcine kidney cells. The mRNA expression of the LTR, gag, pol, and env regions of PERV was dramatically inhibited by dual miRNA from 24 to 144 h after transfection, with the highest inhibition observed for the LTR and pol regions at 120 h. Additionally, the RT activity of PERV in the co-culture experiment of porcine and human cells was reduced by 84.4% at the sixth passage. The dual LTR 1+2 miRNA efficiently silences PERV in primary porcine kidney cells.
Coculture Techniques ; DNA ; Endogenous Retroviruses ; Gene Expression ; Genome ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Kidney ; MicroRNAs ; Parents ; Proviruses ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Selective Breeding ; Terminal Repeat Sequences ; Transfection

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Elevated levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin I, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are each associated with higher rates of death and recurrent myocardial ischemia in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We evaluated the prognostic value of NT-proBNP and a multi-marker risk approach with the simultaneous assessment of NT-proBNP, troponin I, and hs-CRP in patients with ACS. METHODS: We included 277 patients who were admitted for ACS between January and December 2006. We measured NT-proBNP, troponin I, and hs-CRP within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Patients were followed for a median of 559 days for cardiovascular events, including death, new myocardial infarction, heart failure, or rehospitalization for ACS. RESULTS: NT-proBNP was the most powerful predictor of clinical outcome among the biomarkers (HR 3.65, 95% CI 2.11-6.30), followed by the peak troponin I and hs-CRP (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.12-3.87;HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.18-3.37, respectively), but not the baseline troponin I. A multi-marker risk approach with the simultaneous assessment of NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, and peak troponin I was significantly associated with cardiovascular events, especially the presence of three positive biomarkers (adjusted HR 4.20, 95% CI 1.39-12.67). CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP is the most powerful, independent predictor of clinical outcome among the cardiac biomarkers. Since the peak troponin I level provides more prognostic information than the baseline level, follow-up measurement of troponin I may be warranted for risk stratification. The multi-marker risk approach appears to have better prognostic performance than any marker in isolation.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Biomarkers ; C-Reactive Protein ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Peptide Fragments ; Prognosis ; Troponin ; Troponin I

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pathologic effects of preoperative radiotherapy on the resectable distal rectal cancer, we analyzed the results of postoperative pathologic findings for the patients with preoperative radiotherapy and surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 1995 to April 1996, we treated sixteen patients of resectable rectal cancer with preoperative radiation therapy and curative surgery. At diagnosis, Thomas Jefferson (TJ) system was used for the clinical stage of the patients. We treated the patients with conventional radiation therapy of 4500-5000cGy before surgery. The surgery was carried out 4 weeks after completion of radiation therapy. Modified Astler Coller (MAC) system was used for the postoperative pathologic stage. We analyzed the pathologic stages and findings according to preoperative clinical stage and compared with those of the control group in similar clinical stages. RESULTS: All patients were treated with sphincter preservation surgery after preoperative radiation therapy. Pathologic complete response (CR) was shown in 1 case (6.3%). We compared the results between preoperative radiation therapy group (Preop.RT group) and surgery only group (control group). In TJ stage II, among nine patients of Preop.RT group, 8 patients (88.9%) were in MAC stage B except 1 CR patient, but among 17 patients of control group, 11 patients (64.7%) were in MAC stage B and 6 patients (35.3%) in MAC stage C. In TJ stage III, among 7 patients of Preop.RT group, 4 patients (57.1%) were in MAC stage B and 3 patients (42.9%) in MAC stage C. Among 14 patients of control group, 4 patients (28.6%) were in MAC stage B and 10 patients (71.4%) in MAC stage C. Above results showed that postoperative pathologic stage was decreased in Preop.RT group with statistical significance (p=0.049). The postoperative pathologic findings (blood vessel invasion, lymphatic vessel invasion, perineural invasion) were decreased in the Preop.RT group compared with those of control group. But statistical significance was found only in lymphatic vessel invasion (p=0.019). CONCLUSION: The postoperative pathologic stages and adverse prognostic pathologic findings were decreased in preoperative radiation therapy group. The lymphatic vessel invasion and MAC stage C findings were abruptly decreased in preoperative radiation therapy group. The preoperative radiation therapy was found to be effective in resectable rectal cancer. The patients group in our study was very small and long term follow up was not done. Therefore, further study about this issues is needed .
Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Radiotherapy ; Rectal Neoplasms*